Thursday, July 19, 2018

Aftermarket / Reproduction Datsun 510 Parts

Under Construction


Gone are the days that a 510 enthusiast could walk down to their local Nissan dealer and order replacement parts. Sure, some mechanical parts are still available and sometimes, if we're lucky, Nissan reproduces a part usually shared among many Datsuns/Nissans. (We'll highlight those parts in our post)

With the rising cost of vintage Datsun/Nissan cars and parts, especially NOS (New-Old Stock) becoming harder to find and prohibitively expensive, the aftermarket has begun to step into fill the void. As I embark on restoring and modifying another 510, after not doing so for 15+ years, I've decided to put together a guide on what's available and from who. Let's get started!

Legal mumbo-jumbo

I'm not being paid by any of these vendors and/or receiving any free or discounted services/parts from them. Just because I've listed someone in this post/article doesn't mean that I'm favoring one vendor over another. If you're a vendor selling parts that I've listed here then hit me up at dimequarterly@gmail.com

Exterior

Steel Body Panels and Parts

This includes fenders, hoods and other metal/fiberglass parts that mostly bolt on (or weld) on to our 510s in order to get them looking there best. This was one of the first areas where the aftermarket stepped in to fill a void. If you're located in were there are still quite a few 510s/Datsun enthusiasts, like the West Coast of the United States, you might be able to find used body panels at the local Datsun swapmeets. But many of those parts are getting harder to find there too.

A short-list of reproduction body parts:

  • Front fenders (with and without U.S. side marker light holes)
  • Hoods, hood hinges, latch.
  • Front valance, tail-light panel, rear valance.
  • Under-engine splash pan
  • Front/rear bumpers, bumper-brackets.
Reproduction body parts can be sourced from several vendors:

Weatherstripping

This is another area that has seen several different vendors (and manufacturers) producing reproduction rubber weatherstripping. As of today (June 2018) a 510 enthusiast should be able to find reproduction rubber for almost every part of a 510, that includes 2/4 doors, wagon and coupe body-styles. I've heard good and bad things about each of the major suppliers, but its hard to pin point or validate that feedback. (In terms of fit/finish and materials) I will give my own feedback on some of the rubber I've ordered and installed at a later time.

Weatherstripping is available from several vendors:
  • Datsport -- Located in Australia but will happily ship to the U.S. They have individual rubber and complete sets of rubber for 2/4 doors, wagons and coupe body-styles.
  • Z-Car-Depot -- Located in the U.S. and has door and windshield/rear window weatherstripping as well as many miscellaneous rubber parts. (plugs, hood bumper stops, etc)
  • New-Datsun-Parts -- Has a collection of OEM and reproduction weatherstripping as well as many miscellaneous rubber parts/hosts.
  • Muscle Car Parts (Australia)
  • O.C. Datsun
  • DAPS - Datsun Auto Parts & Supply (United States)

Grills

After-market reproductions of the late-model Bluebird "Supersonic" grill are now available.
  • Love20bee.com (United States)

Lenses

Aftermarket taillight lenses for both USDM (all red) and Euro (orange/red) are available from:
Interior

Door Panels / Door Cards

Reproduction door panels/Cards for both early/late 2 and 4 door vehicles are now available in either black and white, although other colors "might" be available... just haven't seen them myself. 

Vendors that are offering door panels/cards are:
If you're willing to buy a minimum of 20 sets, you can also find them on Alibaba.com :)

Dash Vents

 Reproduction dash vents (plastic chrome) for the 70-73 dashboard is available from Motorsport Auto. I purchased a set (May 2018) and the fitment was as expected and the finish was of excellent quality.

Comparison of old (bottom) and reproduction (top)
Dash Pads

 A reproduction dash pad for the 70-73 late-model dash will soon be available per discussions on facebook. More details to come, but don't expect the price to be cheap...

Another alternative is the trusty dash cap, which is still available from several vendors on EBay for around $140. I've used these in the past and if you're diligent and patient with getting it glued on to your existing dash they can be a nice alternative to the prices NOS dash pads are fetching these days. ($500-600)

The look of the dash caps can be vastly improved by spraying them with a plastic/vinyl friend "satin" black to cut down on the sheen.

Performance Parts

Suspension / Brakes

This section is not so much "reproduction" parts, but aftermarket performance parts. All these vendors below have better than stock braking and suspension parts available.

Vendors



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Aftermarket / Reproduction Datsun 510 Parts

Under Construction Gone are the days that a 510 enthusiast could walk down to their local Nissan dealer and order replacement parts. Su...